Friday, May 29, 2020

Pet Safe Travel with MIMsafe





For the vast majority of pet owners, the health and safety of our companions is paramount and something we often think about even more than our own. Since having Murphy, I've always had a small hatchback car and how he travels is something I've thought and worried about often. He's always been the perfect passenger and will always quietly settle, so I opted for a seat belt and cover on the back seat, believing this was the safest of the options available to me given the model of car I owned. I had looked into crash proof crates but gave up the idea when I was told by one well known company they didn't make them to fit my car (and had no plans to!) 

Did you know: Rule 57 of the Highway Code states: "When in a vehicle make sure dogs or other animals are suitably restrained so they cannot distract you while you are driving or injure you, or themselves, if you stop quickly. "A seat belt harness, pet carrier, dog cage or dog guard are ways of restraining animals in cars."

As Murphy got older I began to travel with him more frequently and for longer distances, which made his (and my) safety even more important than before. I was again troubled by how safe he was in the car should the worst ever happen. A sharp and unexpected break could send him tumbling into the foot well even with a harness and seat belt on! Hearing of dogs that had been killed in a car accident which hadn't been serious for the driver spurred me to once again spend hours scouring the internet for options. This is when I came across MIMsafe.

Captured by Jessica Coates Photography


I recently did a poll over on Instagram, and a staggering 88% of you had never heard of them. This is what compelled me to write this, because I really do think how your pets travel is so important and there are probably many of you who are like me and would have purchased a crash proof crate long ago if you knew there was one to fit your car! MIMsafe make a range of different sized crash tested, crush proof crates to fit most cars...including hatchbacks! They have documentation from hundreds of crash tests including many videos to demonstrate which can be found on Youtube for those interested. 

Captured by Jessica Coates Photography


Once I had found the MIMsafe, I literally didn't think twice about buying one and honestly it's one of the best purchases I have ever made. I'm not going to lie, they are expensive and this probably puts a lot of people off, but such a worthwhile investment for something which could potentially save your dogs life. They do offer a finance option to help spread the cost over a set amount of months which is definitely what I'd have done had I known about this at the time I purchased! Also featuring a rear escape door, in case the front is blocked the MIMsafe really has given me that piece of mind when travelling, I had been lacking. 

Captured by Jessica Coates Photography


Besides the obvious safety aspect I have found countless other benefits. A dog hair and mud free car for one! Don't get me wrong, my car is pretty much a roller skate, a shed on wheels, only The Flintstones have a worse ride than me. However, that being said I still have OCD where the upholstery of my car is concerned and dog hairs is a big pet peeve. Those things grip to your car floor and seats like their lives depend on it. Also, the typical spaniel that Murphy is means he can't ever get back into a car as clean as he left it. Having the MIMsafe means that all the mud, foxpoop and god knows what else (once rolled in a dead seagull, as you do) is contained in his own space where he can happily wallow in the stench, away from me and my clean seats. 

As mentioned above, these crates (as any crash tested crate is) are pretty pricey. However one HUGE bonus of the MIMsafe over some other brands is that they are adjustable. This means when I do get a new car (hopefully soon!) I wont't have to shell out all that money again buying a new crate to fit, it also means Murphy will get extra space (yay). 

The door of the MIMsafe is lockable and whilst not a feature I'm likely to use I know many who compete in agility etc find this handy. It allows you to safely keep your dog in the car whilst being able to leave the boot open and keep them cool. 

Captured by Jessica Coates Photography

I hope this may have helped a few of you to think about your pets in the car and if you have any questions I will be happy to try and answer them as honestly as I can. I'm not working with MIMsafe, all opinions are my own and I purchased my cage entirely. 


Love Kelly & Murphy x x





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